How to Graft Chestnuts and Other Nut Trees

Grafting technique for chestnuts and other nut trees is different from grafting fruit trees in several important ways. In this video, Michael explains how to successfully graft nut trees with more specialized requirements.

[@thomaslevesque8996]

Excellent information and presentation...thank you!

[@jackancenys574]

Très intéressant et bien expliqué. Merci

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

good information, thank you

[@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor]

That's interesting about the flooding of the graft, I had no idea that could happen.

[@stacyhug]

Great video. Looking at doing this for an Ornamental Chestnut, but I'm still unsure if i should graft or plant from seed...i think i will do both and see how they go!!

[@martinmenke604]

Thank you for the great video! Isn’t hot piping a better way to avoid bleeding? If you graft onto a dormant rootstock?

[@ridanuwayhid9494]

Interesting demo and info. Why don't you make a tongue in the cut - aka whip and tongue? Also, any particular advice on grafting a chinese variety onto a chinese nut seedling? One final question: Last year I grafted a c. sativa scion onto c. sativa seedling of around 3 inch diameter using the so-called Texas bark Inlay method. I noticed a lot of black fluid around the graft area. Then it died! What happened? Thanks.

[@burntridgenursery591]

The tongue isn't necessary and takes longer if you're grafting thousands of trees. Once healed, it's just as strong. Chinese chestnuts segregate into 4 different phenotypes, none of which are compatible with each other, so there is a higher rate of delayed graft incompatibility with Chinese. The best way around this would be to grow seedlings from the variety you want to graft, as a rootstock so they're as closely related as possible. Established chestnuts in the ground can have a lot of sap pressure in the spring, which can flood the graft union. The sap is slightly sweet and could have turned black from a mold growing on the sweet sap. Drilling a couple of holes in the trunk or making upward slashing cuts through the bark can act as sap release valves. On cutting off the top of the tree a week before you graft will tend to bleed out the sap, releasing pressure that could flood the graft union.

[@mxgangrel]

You said you make the cut for the sap near a node, does it matter if it's above or below the node? I can't quite see it. Thank you for this.

[@seancheetham7454]

I noticed you’re only using a rubber band to tie the graft. Do you avoid parafilm to prevent graft flooding?

[@bandmasterjf]

Can you softwood graft chestnuts with spring growth in the spring?

[@andrewtomlinson5462]

Do you have thoughts on grafting Chestnut scions onto Red Oak root stock? Any reason to avoid this? I live in the upper midwest and have a lot of established Red Oak and would like to introduce Chestnut.

[@burntridgenursery591]

I sincerely doubt that would be successful. There are incompatibility issues even within the different species and varieties of chestnut, which is why we use closely related seedlings as rootstocks.

[@jackjones9460]

From this video I’m thinking grafting chestnuts onto a different nut tree must not work. Since you mentioned needing to graft onto a similar phenotype using a beech tree must never work. Is that accurate? If so, is there any possibility of spreading chestnuts through grafting? Since we apparently have no 😢 native chestnuts growing in east Texas, I’ll need new trees or nuts to sprout?

[@dorzsboss]

What is about grafting chestnut to oak?

[@twinkstarr267]

Can a chestnut sion be grafted into an oak or any other common tree?

[@burntridgenursery591]

Chestnuts can only be grafted successfully onto other chestnuts.

[@ya00007]

Do you know how to take cuttings of sweet chestnut trees? Is it possible to carry out air layering?

[@burntridgenursery591]

They don't generally root from cuttings. Air layering can be done only on very new growth with girdling of the stem. We're starting to produce layered varieties using a similar technique to hazelnut layering in stool beds.

[@ya00007]

@@burntridgenursery591 I live in London, UK and my neighbour has a very good sweet chestnut tree. What's the best way to propagate that exact same tree?

[@jherman89]

Do you know if oaks can be grafted onto varying oak species?

[@burntridgenursery591]

Yes, oaks can be grafted onto other oaks, though success will be greatest if you stick with the same species for stock and scionwood. There may be some incompatibility issues if mixing different species.

[@hakanbulut2242]

Can you say when we can graft hazelnuts outside in turkey thank you

[@burntridgenursery591]

Cut your dormant scionwood now, and seal in a tight closing plastic bag with a damp piece of paper inside. Refrigerate until the beginning of a warm period in spring - weather where you won't need a sweater or jacket.

[@hakanbulut2242]

Burnt Ridge Nursery thank you so much🙏🏻

[@shirazimad6464]

In which month we can graft

[@burntridgenursery591]

That depends where you live. We start grafting chestnuts once the weather warms a bit. That's usually in April for greenhouses and May for outdoor field grafting and bench grafting.

[@antonioleeiii2570]

Can we graft sweet chestnut into Malabar chestnut?

[@burntridgenursery591]

No - in spite of the similar name, they are not closely related. Chestnuts must be grafted onto other chestnuts, and even so they are most compatible with seedlings of the same variety.

[@antonioleeiii2570]

@@burntridgenursery591 thank you so much! 🙏

[@antonioleeiii2570]

@@burntridgenursery591 by the way. Do we need 2 chestnut trees to produce fruit? Or they are self polinating?

[@danieledigiuseppe4814]

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